


Glimpse 6: Sleep Deprivation and Champagne

by CupcakeGirlA



Series: Decisions, Decisions Series [9]
Category: Olympics RPF, Real Person Fiction, Speed Skating RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-25
Updated: 2012-12-25
Packaged: 2017-11-22 10:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/608694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupcakeGirlA/pseuds/CupcakeGirlA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With a new baby in the house, JR and Apolo haven’t had very much time to themselves. Jordan and Travis come to the rescue. Sort of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glimpse 6: Sleep Deprivation and Champagne

September 14, 2021

It is mid-September, a week before Olympic Trials, when JR and Apolo open the front door one afternoon and find both Travis Jayner and Jordan Malone on their doorstep, each of them with a duffle bag packed full of clothes at their feet. To say they’re surprised would be an understatement. They’re about as surprised as two guys with a three month old can possibly be, beneath all the sleep deprivation. 

“Hey guys, what are you doing here!?” JR asks, opening the door wider and inviting them in. 

“What? We can’t come visit our very good friends JR and Apolo?” Jordan asks. JR looks at Apolo and they both frown. 

“No,” they say in complete agreement. Travis laughs. 

“We got tired of waiting for you guys to bring that baby of yours down to see us in SLC. And since we’ve both been robbed of being named Godfather…” Travis explains. 

“Yeah! Just what in the hell is up with that!?” Jordan interjects. Travis elbows him. 

“We decided to come see him for ourselves. So where is he?” Travis asks. 

“He just went down, finally, for his nap. So keep your voices down,” Apolo says tiredly. They leave their bags by the front door, and follow Apolo and JR into the living room. Apolo flops down on the couch, and rests his head in a hand propped up with an elbow on the couch arm. JR plops down beside him, leaning into his side, and yawns. 

“Fuck man!” Jordan says quietly. “You guys look exhausted. Is he still not sleeping through the night?” JR shakes his head but it’s Apolo who answers. 

“He’s 14 weeks old now, but he still wakes us up at least twice a night screaming for either company or a bottle. We’re tired.” 

“I’m just glad the firm gave me extended paternity leave. This would fucking suck if I had to work too,” JR grumbles. Apolo nods. 

“Well good then. We came at the perfect time! You guys go take a nap. You’ve got to get some rest for the big night!” Travis says. JR and Apolo both blink at them tiredly. 

“You guys forgot? You’ve never forgotten. Not once in all these years. You really must be exhausted!” Jordan says shaking his head. 

“What are you guys talking about?” JR asks. 

“It’s September 14th…” Travis prods. They blink at him. “Your anniversary?” he asks. JR sinks further into Apolo’s side and groans. 

“Shit. We did. Well at least you can’t be mad at me for forgetting when you forgot too!” Apolo says, tucking JR closer. JR nods. 

“If we both forgot, that means no plans have been made. We’ll just stay home with you guys and Mali,” JR answers.

“No, don’t you guys get it? We’re here to babysit!” Jordan crows loudly, throwing his hands out like it’s the greatest announcement ever. The sound of a baby starting to cry fills the room through the baby monitor. All eyes go to Jordan, two sets accusing, one set amused. 

“I hate you, Jordan,” JR whispers harshly, standing up and pushing Apolo back down. He jogs out of the room and up the stairs. They hear the click of the baby monitor being shut off, and the crying fades to the distant sound echoing down from upstairs. It takes only a few minutes for it to come to a stop. Apolo leans his head back, eyes focusing blearily on the living room ceiling. He lifts his head and turns to his two friends sitting mutely across from him, Jordan looking contrite. “How was the flight?” Apolo asks. Travis shakes his head. 

“Apolo, just go to bed. You’re going to pass out. Look we can watch Malixi for a few hours. And you’ll be just down the hall if there’s a problem,” Travis suggests. Apolo nods, and lets Jordan and Travis pull him up off the couch, following him upstairs. He heads to the right, to Malixi’s room. The door is open, and JR stands in the middle of it, bouncing Malixi in his arms. He looks up when they enter. 

“Come on, JR. We need to get some sleep. He’ll be fine,” Apolo coaxes. JR nods, looking down at Malixi as he drifts off to sleep again. He kisses him on the forehead, and then puts him down in his crib. 

“He’s supposed to be down for another hour. Than a bottle, they’re already mixed and in the fridge. Just warm it in the warming pan on the stove. Test it before you give it to him.” JR says. Travis groans. 

“I am an Uncle. I’ve done this before. Test it on the inside of the wrist. Go to bed!” he says softly. Apolo snags JR by the wrist, and drags him from the room. Travis and Jordan watch them go then tip toe over to the crib to look down at their honorary nephew. 

“Oh he’s cute!” Jordan whispers. Travis nods. “Must be JR’s then,” he continues. He earns a punch in the side for that. 

 

JR tugs back the covers on the bed from where they’d only halfheartedly made the bed earlier that morning. Then peeling off his jeans, collapsed back against the pillows, sliding his legs under the blankets and sheets. Apolo laughed. 

“Have I said thanks for taking the second feeding this morning? I feel like I owe you one,” Apolo explains. JR smiles a little. 

“Yes, twice, no three times. And it’s not like I had much of a choice. He was screaming and you were completely zonked out. It’s not like I was going to literally push you out of bed at four in the morning to go feed him,” JR ends the sentence with a yawn. Apolo pulls back the covers on the other side of the bed, and shucks his sweat pants to climb in beside him. Pulling the covers up, he turns onto his side to face JR who, even as tired as he is, is staring up at their bedroom ceiling. 

“We’re good dad’s aren’t we?” he asks. Apolo moves closer before responding. 

“I think we’re great dad’s. So far. I mean we haven’t really been tested yet,” he teases. “All he does is eat, sleep, and shit. I guess we get props for not hiring a nanny, and fleeing the nursery with every dirty diaper, or dropping him. We haven’t done that yet either!” JR laughs but rolls his eyes and yawns again. Apolo yawns in sympathy, and rolls even closer, throwing an arm over JR’s side, and pressing into his warmth. “Sleep,” he whispers, resting his head on JR’s shoulder. 

“Mhmmm,” JR mumbles, his arm sliding around Apolo’s shoulders. 

 

Three whole hours. They get three whole hours before there’s a knock on their bedroom door. Travis pulls the door open and sticks his head tentatively inside. Apolo blinks awake and sits up, rubbing at his bedhead. 

“Hey, what’s up?” he asks. Travis smiles at them. 

“It’s after five. Get up, shower, dress. You have seven o’clock reservations at a place in the city. Up and at em!” Travis says happily, closing the door before Apolo can argue with him. 

JR laughs quietly, pushing back the covers and climbing out of bed. He bounces in place, looking and feeling refreshed and energized. 

“Come on, Polo.” He tugs his t-shirt off and smiles a flirty smile. “If you ask nicely I’ll let you scrub my back.” 

Apolo chases him into the master bath. 

When they leave the bathroom, a half an hour later, they find two suits laid out for them on the bed. JR sits down and stares at them, scrubbing a towel across his head. 

“I don’t know whether to be really touched they care so much, or be weirded out by all of this,” JR says. He looks up at Apolo, who is freshly groomed, and smirking. 

“I’ve settled on a mixture of both. Touched but mildly suspicious,” Apolo explains. He reaches for the dress shirt in his size and pulls it on, starting to button it up. JR shrugs and gets up to start dressing. 

When they get downstairs they find Malixi strapped into his car seat and sitting on the dinette table. Jordan is sitting in front of him making goofy faces and shaking a stuffed toy above him. Malixi giggles, reaching for it, and sputtering like an engine with his tongue between his lips. Travis stands at the stove, carefully heating a bottle. JR goes over to check the baby, while Apolo goes looking for his wallet and car keys. 

“They’re in the basket by the front door, Apolo. Where they’ve been every day since we moved in here!” JR calls down the hallway. Malixi burst out laughing, and JR smiles down at him. “Are you hungry?” he asks the baby. Malixi just giggles some more. “That’s dinner right?” JR asks Jordan. Jordan nods. 

“Yo, Trav, almost ready?” Jordan asks. Travis nods. 

“Yep, here,” he ducks down and runs the warmed bottle over to Jordan, before ducking back around to the far side of the table. JR blinks at him oddly. 

“What the hell was that?” he asks. Jordan starts to laugh, while Travis pulls out a chair to sit down, turning red in embarrassment. 

“Mali, doesn’t like him!” Jordan chortles. 

“Mali likes everybody. It’s kind of a problem. He let you take care of him all afternoon, and he’d never met you before,” JR replies. Jordan grins. 

“Yep,” he offers the baby the bottle. “But still, he hates Travis.” JR crosses his arms over his chest. 

“Show me,” he demands. Apolo steps into the room just then and leans in the doorway to watch the proceedings. Travis shrugs and walks around the room. He bends close to the baby, as sweet and nice an expression on his face as physically possible. Malixi kicks the bottle away and starts to scream bloody murder. Travis ducks away, and JR reaches for the baby. But as soon as Travis is out of his line of sight, he stops crying. JR blinks in surprise. “What the hell!?” Apolo laughs. 

“It’s your beard!” he says, stepping into the kitchen. “I used to be the same way... Anyone could come near me. I was fine with them. Unless they had a beard. Then I freaked out.” He walks over to where Travis is standing just outside of the baby’s peripheral vision. “Here,” he says, and he pulls Travis’ t-shirt up to just under his nose. Then he tugs him around the table. Malixi’s eyes are drawn to the movement and he smiles at them both, clapping his hands in Apolo’s direction. “See. He’d rather you had no mouth at all than one surrounded by that sad scraggly-ass beard,” Apolo says, bending down to let Malixi’s hand grab at his face. He kisses his son on the nose, and then stands up, checking his watch. 

“We have to go if we’re going to make our reservations. Where are we going, again?” he asks. Travis ducks back away from the baby and picks up a piece of paper. 

“We wrote down the address for you. Here,” he hands it over. Then he leaves the room. 

“Where are you going?” JR calls after him. 

“To shave!” Travis calls back. JR looks to Jordan and Apolo and all three of them start to laugh. 

“Come on get out of here, or you’ll miss your reservation!” Jordan says. 

“OK! OK we’re going!” Apolo bends down to pick up the baby. “Bye, Buddy,” he says, hugging the baby gently. “I love you,” he whispers. He hands him over to JR, who bounces him a little. “He’s been eating! Don’t make him puke on your suit!” Apolo says, pulling his own suit jacket on. JR rolls his eyes. 

“Be good, Mali,” he whispers, running his fingers over the top of his sons head. Malixi sighs, resting his head on JR’s shoulder. “You guys better finish dinner soon. He’s going to pass out on you any minute.” He kisses Malixi’s head, and then sets him back down in his seat. “Daddy loves you,” he says quietly. 

“Yeah. Yeah. You both love him. Now get out of here!” Jordan says shooing them toward the front of the house. 

“Have fun. Call us if anything happens. Important emergency numbers are on the fridge.” Apolo calls out as they go. 

“Hey! You want me to drive?” JR asks as they approach the car. Apolo stares back at him, horrified, until JR laughs. “Joking! God, you’re such a control freak!” He heads for the passenger door. 

 

The piece of paper Travis had provided was only an address. JR input it into his cellphone and directed Apolo through midevening traffic in Seattle. They both stared up in confusion when they pulled into a long circular drive and found themselves staring up at a hotel, not a restaurant. A knock on the window led to a short conversation with a valet attendant, and the two of them heading for the entrance. They were met just inside by the Manager. The Manager of the hotel. He shakes their hands. 

“Mr. Ohno, Mr. Celski. Happy Anniversary. Your table has been held for your dinner. Please come this way,” he escorts them to the hotel restaurant, which he says with pride holds two Michelin Stars. Their table turns out to be a booth in the corner, private and cozy. JR and Apolo both take their seats. Once the Manager has left, they’re visited by their waiter, who takes their drink orders, brings by some sort of house appetizer to get their stomachs going, explains their dinner has been pre-arranged, and then he disappears as quickly and silently as he’d first appeared. It was only then, finally alone that they met each other’s eyes across the table, and quietly laughed in amazed amusement. 

“God, they really went all out didn’t they?” Apolo asks, sipping from his water glass. JR shakes his head, smiling fondly. 

“I know they meant the best, but we are so NOT the two Michelin star kind of people,” he says quietly. Apolo snorts, into his water glass, and reaches for his napkin. 

“Speak for yourself, I have always enjoyed the finer things in life,” he smirks. “Just be glad we get paid so well, this is not going to be a cheap meal,” Apolo warns. JR laughs again.

“It’s our eighth anniversary. We might as well make the best of it!” he says. He holds up his own water glass, watching Apolo’s clink against his own. 

“To eight years, a wonderful son, and many more years as a family left to come,” Apolo proclaims. JR makes a face at that, just to make him laugh again. 

Their mirth lasts until after their second course, the wine helps mellow them out, but JR turns contemplative. 

“Is it sad that I miss Mali?” he asks. Apolo eyes him carefully. 

“Of course not. We’ve barely been away from him since the day he was born. He’s our kid. It’s good that we want to be with him, that we love him that much.” Apolo gulps down the last dregs of his wine, and scoots around the round booth. JR moves to meet him and they end up pressed together in the back curve. “If you want we can pay the check, and head home.” Apolo checks his watch. “He’s probably down already for bed, but at least we’d be home if he needs us,” JR rests his left hand on Apolo’s thigh, the hard muscle there pressed tightly to his, and reaches down to squeeze his knee. 

“It’s our anniversary. The whole point of this night is that it’s supposed to be about us. I love Malixi, you know that, but it’s like he’s the only thing we ever talk about any more. He’s our sole focus. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But when’s the last time we went inline-skating? Or out for a hike?” JR asks. Apolo doesn’t have an answer. His arm tightens around JR’s shoulder instead. “I trust Jordan and Travis. They’ll call us if anything goes wrong won’t they?” he asks. He’s interrupted by the return of their waiter, who doesn’t even blink at their relocation to the far side of the table. He merely rearranges their place settings, pours them each some more wine, and lets them know that their next course would be out in just a few minutes. Once he’s gone again, JR lets his body go lax against Apolo’s. 

“Mali is fine,” Apolo promises. He stretches back reaching into his pocket to pull out his cellphone. He shows the screen to JR. It’s set to vibrate, and has no missed calls or text messages. “They will call if they need too.” JR nods. 

“OK. So… dinner?” JR asks. Apolo grins at him and reaches for his wine. 

 

They’re served course after course, until they’re so stuffed they can’t imagine taking another bite. 

“Oh God,” Apolo groans, turning his head to look at JR, lazily. “They haven’t even served us dessert yet,” he says quietly. JR leans against him, as the manager and their waiter approach the table. He lets out a little whimper. 

“Mr. Celski, Mr. Ohno, I hope you’ve enjoyed your meal so far,” the manager says in greeting. 

“Yes, everything has been delicious. Please pass on our appreciation to the chef and the kitchen staff,” Apolo replies. The manager smiles brightly. 

“That’s wonderful to hear. I hope you’ve saved room for dessert,” he nods to the waiter, who moves quickly away. JR and Apolo share a look. 

“We might have to get that to go. I couldn’t eat another bite right now,” he explains. The manager’s smile widens again. 

“Oh don’t worry, Mr. Celski. Dessert will be waiting in your room,” the manager explains. “Please follow me,” he stands to the side to allow them to exit the booth. 

“Room?” JR asks, sliding around to the right and climbing to his feet. Apolo slides out and around to the left. His hands tug absently at his suit as soon as he’s standing. The movement is familiar and catches JR’s attention. His eyes go to Apolo’s waist, and the way the jacket is tailored perfectly to fit his shape. He must stare or something because Apolo clears his throat and when JR looks up Apolo’s smirking at him. Apolo turns to look at the manager. 

“You mentioned a room? And we have to pay our check don’t we?” he gestures back to the table, even as they’re both following the manager through the restaurant. The manager waits until they’ve entered the quieter lobby to explain. 

“Dinner and the cost of you room have already been covered. A Mr. Yuki Ohno took care of everything in advance. He had a message,” the manager says, stepping into the elevator, and waiting for them. They share another confused look and follow him inside. He smiles at them, using a keycard and pressing the button for the top floor. “Mr. Ohno, asked me to tell you that you deserve a night away, that he’s supervising things at home, and you’re not to return to the house until after 12pm tomorrow.” The Manager leads them to their door, opening it quickly with the key card and stepping inside to hold open the door. Apolo and JR follow him silently inside. 

JR wanders further into the suite. It’s an expensive one, with a fireplace, a huge television, and a separate bedroom. A wall of windows looks out over rainy Seattle. The whole city looks blurry with the rain, lights going hazy and muted. Apolo turns to the manager who holds out two keycards. “Please enjoy your evening. Dessert should be set up for you within the next 10 minutes. Let us know if there is anything you need,” he shakes Apolo’s hand, and then quickly leaves. 

Apolo watches him go, then turns to find JR. He’s still staring out across the city, but he’s shed his jacket, and is working at the knot of his tie. Apolo walks up behind him. 

“Your dad,” JR says, smirking, “clearly had his hands all over this whole night.” He turns around, leaning sideways against the cool glass of the window. Apolo steps closer. 

“I should have known. He called me up last week, asked if we needed any babysitting services sometime soon,” Apolo explains, he slides his arm around JR’s waist, pressing his body into JR’s side, and turning to stare out the window. “He clearly misses his grandson.” JR laughs, biting his lip, and turning his back to the window. He pulls Apolo’s hips into his, hands traveling around to slide up the back Apolo’s jacket. 

“I can’t say I enjoy the manipulation, or that fact that my father-in-law is teaming up with my best-friends to get us out of the house. But considering the fact that it means we got to have a pretty good dinner, and now a whole night in a secluded hotel room high above Seattle, with no screaming baby or three am feedings, I’m willing to look past all of that,” he explains. A knock on the door interrupts Apolo before he can say a word in reply. He heads to the door, walking backwards to maintain eye contact with JR. 

“Good. What do you think about a drink in front of the fireplace, and maybe some necking, and then we head back to the bedroom?” Apolo asks reaching for the door. JR smirks, even as he starts to unbutton his shirt. 

“Happy Anniversary to us,” JR says softly, dropping his shirt over a chair, and reaching for his cellphone. Just as soon as he calls and checks on Malixi…

End.


End file.
